As is our tradition for the last meeting before Easter, we had a food washing ceremony this evening. The Men of Steel Leadership Council washed the feet of the men following the example set by Jesus’s act toward his disciples before he was crucified. In addition to foot washing, every man’s needs were prayed over individually. We closed the meeting by taking communion together.

John 13:1-17
1. Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father.  He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.  2. It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.  3. Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God.  4. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5. and poured water into a basin.  Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
6. When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7. Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”
8. “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”
Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”
9. Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”
10. Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean.  And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.”  11. For Jesus knew who would betray him.  That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12. After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing?  13. You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am.  14. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.  15. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.  16. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master.  Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message.  17. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

I Corinthians 11:23-26
23. For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself.  On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24. and gave thanks to God for it.  Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.”  25. In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood.  Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.”  26. For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.

Booker T. Pennix, Jr., 80, of Elon, North Carolina passed peacefully into glory on March 5, 2026, at White Oak Manor in Burlington, North Carolina, after many years of declining health. He was born in Elon on November 19, 1945.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Booker T. and Daisy Farrington Pennix, brothers Daniel Pennix and Jimmy Pennix, sisters Betty McGee, Elsie Hall and Pauline Martin. He is survived by his brothers Nathaniel (John) Pennix and David Pennix, sisters Thelma Ansley and Sherry Pennix, special niece Karen and other nieces and nephews.

Booker learned and was schooled well in the art of cooking by his mother Daisy and serving at his first job at a soda shop in Elon College. Later he honed those skills with the Huey brothers in Elon where he cooked for Charles, Alvin and other Huey’s staff. Before his decline in health, Booker graciously cooked and served wonderful meals for his Piedmont Men of Steel family.

Booker’s greatest love was for his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ as he came to faith early under his mother’s love, guidance and example of following Christ. His second love was the Word of God which he read daily and was an avid Sunday School teacher and prayer warrior. He served faithfully on the Leadership Council of Piedmont Men of Steel, the prayer team, and was a regular minister in the Alamance County Jail under Captain Ricky Durham. While his health permitted, he loved to attend Christian Bible Fellowship in Gibsonville.

A celebration of life was held at 6:30 pm on Monday, March 16, 2026, at Piedmont Men of Steel. Pastor Woody Lamm and Aaron Moger of Piedmont Men of Steel officiated. The Pennix family and the Piedmont Men of Steel family thank White Oak Manor and Authora Care Hospice Care of Burlington for their loving and gracious care for Booker. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Piedmont Men of Steel.

To God be the Glory.

Psalm 115:1
Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.

God’s Garden

God looked around His garden and found an empty place.
He then looked down upon the earth and saw your tired face.
He put his arms around you and lifted you to rest.
God’s garden must be beautiful, He always takes the best.
He saw the road was getting rough and the hills were hard to climb,
so He closed your weary eyelids And whispered “Peace be thine”.
It broke our hearts to lose you but you didn’t go alone,
for part of us went with you the day God called you home.

Acknowledgements

The family wishes to acknowledge with deep appreciation the many expressions of love, concern and kindness shown to them. May God Bless You!
The Pennix Family

Brother Will brought a message this evening on the subject of resting in the Lord borrowing from his own experiences attempting to persevere on his own strength alone. God’s intention is for us as His children to come to and find our rest in Him.

Psalm 127:2
It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.

Isaiah 30:15
This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved.  In quietness and confidence is your strength.  But you would have none of it.

Mark 6:31
Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.”  He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.

Hebrews 4:9-11
9. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.  10. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world.  11. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.

Ricky Durham brought a word for the men this evening on the evidence of faith in our daily lives. When we accept forgiveness and salvation through Jesus, He is able to transform us through our faith and the world will see Jesus through us in the love we show to one another.

I Corinthians 10:31
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Galatians 2:20
My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.  So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Romans 5:8-9
8. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  9. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.

John 13:34-35
34. "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other.  Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.  35. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Aaron led us in a passage this evening from the second chapter of Paul’s letter to the Philippian church focused on our core goal of our ministry at Men of Steel, molding men into the image of Christ. We broke down the scriptures by section reflecting on how Jesus’s ministry on earth was selfless, serving, sacrificial, and sovereign. We closed with the question of how might we apply this model to our own lives every day to show the love of Jesus to the world around us through our actions.

Selfless

Philippians 2:1-4
1. Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ?  Any comfort from his love?  Any fellowship together in the Spirit?  Are your hearts tender and compassionate?  2. Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
3. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.  4. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Serving

Philippians 2:5-7
5. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.  6. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  7. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.  When he appeared in human form,

Sacrificial

Philippians 2:8
8. he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Sovereign

Philippians 2:9-11
9.  Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10. that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11. and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Application

Philippians 2:12-15
12. Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.  13. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
14. Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15. so that no one can criticize you.  Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

We started this evening with a graduation testimony from one of our recent New Beginners Class graduates, Jon Burke. Jon’s testimony was uplifting and inspiring. We’re proud to have him counted among us at Piedmont Men of Steel. Congratulations, Jon!

Aaron let the men in a night of prayer in which we studied passages of scripture and then prayed with specific scriptures in mind. First we prayed in a posture directed upward to God, praising him and asking for comfort in our cares and worries. Next we prayed inward reflecting on the condition of our hearts and seeking forgiveness of unresolved sins to avoid obstructions between us and Jesus. Finally, we prayed with a posture directed outward, seeking both God’s mercy and love poured out on friends, family, neighbors and enemies.

Praying Upward

Revelation 4:11
“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power.  For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”

Psalm 105:1-2
1. Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.  Let the whole world know what he has done.
2. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.  Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.

Psalm 34:4
I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.  He freed me from all my fears.

Praying Inward

Psalm 139:23-24
23. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

I John 1:9
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Romans 15:20-21
20. My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else.  21. I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says, “Those who have never been told about him will see, and those who have never heard of him will understand.”

Praying Outward

I Timothy 2:1-2
1. I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.  2. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.

Matthew 5:43-44
43. “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.  44. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!

Pastor Greg King brought the word to the men this evening with a message from the 4th chapter of 2nd Kings wherein a widow’s faith is tested and she’s instructed by Elisha as God’s messenger to settle the debts of her late husband using only a single jar of olive oil. The olive oil miraculously continued to produce from the single jar until all of her husband’s debts were paid. This was the reward for her faith.

II Kings 4:1-7
1. One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.”
2. “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”
“Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied.
3. And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors.  4. Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.”
5. So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. 6 Soon every container was full to the brim!
“Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons.
“There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing.
7. When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.”

I John 1:9
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Every year at our first meeting of the year at Piedmont Men of Steel, we come together to take part in a communion ceremony with God in which we reaffirm our core commitments as Men of Steel to God, to our families, to our appointed body of believers, and to our common accountability as Men of Steel. This year, testimonies were given by Karl, Aaron, and Benji. Our commitment to these things is our mission at Piedmont Men of Steel in accordance with molding men toward the image of Christ.

Daily quiet time with God.
Matthew 6:33
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Daily love, devotion, and commitment to family.
I Timothy 5:8
But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.

Active and faithful involvement with a local Body of Christ.
Hebrews 10:25
And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Faithful attendance, support, and service with Men of Steel.
Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

We celebrated our last meeting of the year with a potluck dinner and fellowship celebrating the birth of our savior Jesus. We honored a local family by serving them with dinner and gifts. Aaron led the men in a reading of the story of Christmas from the book of Luke, brother Karl was awarded his jacket for a year of faithful presence in fellowship with the Men of Steel, and the men were each given a gift package from the Men of Steel Leadership Council. We finished the evening by gathering in a circle with candles lit and singing a verse of Silent Night together.

Many happy returns of the season, Men of Steel. Praise Jesus for his life and salvation so we could be redeemed. We will return to our normal Monday night schedule on January 5th.

Luke 2:1-20
2. At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.  2. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  3. All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census.  4. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.  5. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

6. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.  7. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

8. That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.  9. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10. but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.  11. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!  12. And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13. Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14. “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

15. When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16. They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.  17. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.  18. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19. but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.  20. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

We met this week for our meeting just before the Thanksgiving holiday. After sharing a meal together, we had table discussions in which we shared the things the Lord had given us each to be thankful fore. Steve Deaton led the men in a message in keeping with the theme of giving thanks to the Lord for the blessings in our lives.

Psalm 100
1. Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
2. Worship the Lord with gladness.  Come before him, singing with joy.
3. Acknowledge that the Lord is God!  He made us, and we are his.  We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise.  Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5. For the Lord is good.  His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.